Basic Binding

Usually, I will cut my binding strips 2 1/2" wide.
For some wall hangings I'll use strips 2 1/4" wide they make a much thinner binding, which looks great on much smaller projects... in my opinion, which I am allowed to have, right?
If I want to, I make a wider binding, like... when my backing is a bit short after quilting, I can have a thin border showing on the front and a good, wide border on the back to cover any errors... and yes , this still makes a lovely mitre on the corner.

Join strips by placing one horizontal and one vertical, with right sides together... place your ruler a tiny bit shy of the diagonal so that when you draw your pencil line it sits exactly on the 45 degree angle, you see it?

pin either side of your pencil line to stop any shifting of fabric...

sewexactly on the line, like so.... then take out the pins and open out the strip....

if the top and bottom of the strip run straight, like this one (if they don't make a straight line take out the seam and do it again, please)....

you can cut off the extra bits 1/4" from the line,using ruler and rotary or a pair of sharp scissors (save the triangles in your 'little scraps' tub!)

then press the seams to one side, like this, all good and neat... you'll need to join enough strips together for the whole thing to go all the way round your quilt and some 8"+ extra.

This is the most basic way to do binding. It works and it is very very easy for beginners, I know there are 'better' ways. Fold over 1/4" seam and finger press it, only at the start end though. Pin it onto the side of your quilt then check that you can get round the quilt without having a join fall on a corner.. this makes the mitre very bulky, if the joins do hit a corner adjust the start position, check all 4 corners before you start to sew.

Stitch about 1 inch on only one layer of the binding, just to hold the start point in the right place....

fold the binding back down and start stitching all the layers to the quilt, I always start a few inches further down, you will see why... stitch all the way round, look how to do mitred cornersmy way here....

when you get back to your starting point, open up the start binding slot in the end and trim off any extra inches, cutting on the diagonal will reduce the bulk, BE CAREFUL to leave enough to reach the beginning though

fold over the top of the binding strip, you might need to fiddle a bit to get it perfect...

hold it in place and continue stitching

you should find yourself back where you started, joining up the two lines of stitching.

then your pretty much done... fold the binding over to the back ready to hand stitch down, again you might need to fiddle a little to get it perfect...

About My Blog

Basically, this blog is a diary with pictures. It follows patchwork and quilting projects made by myself in my Quilty Quarters, and those made by all the lovely people who come to classes and workshops. There will be quite a few snippets about daily life in my very own quilt shop too.

Since March 2008

Floribunda

An Abundance Of Flowers

Sunflower Garden Bargello

Tutti Fruiti

Emmaz Daizies

Daizies for Charity

The Story So Far.....

After years of wanting to learn about patchwork & quilting, I finally learned the basics whilst living in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1996 - 2002). I purchased a 40 year old Singer sewing machine and joined a quilt group. The group’s theory was...“you watch one, you make one then, you teach one” Soon, the more experienced quilters left Brazil, leaving me as the most experienced quilter in our group….

I continued to run that group for a few years, until my family was moved to Mexico City in 2002, where there were a few small quilt groups already running. I was fully involved with them, this included hosting groups, teaching patchwork & quilting and fabric dying workshops, charity quilts and quilt shows. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my knowledge but my favourite thing to do was teaching beginners. By this time I spent almost every waking moment at my sewing machine and, eventually, it died!

It was time to invest in a new one. After doing lots of research I decide to buy a Bernina 153.. A sewing computer... WOW! Production moved onward and upward. There was no stopping me. I discovered the internet along with purchasing more and more quilting books, I learned new methods and tricks. I was having so much fun...

We moved to Portugal in 2004, there were no quilters to be found, so I joined a craft group and turned them into quilters... Needs must! The quilting word spread and I continued to teach from home and in a quilt shop in Lisbon. I purchased a Bernina Aurora 440 QE and became an agent for the ‘Bernina Guy’.

I started my blog in April 2008, I wish I had started it in 1998 as it is lovely to look back.

In July 2009 we returned to the UK where I continue with my addiction to patchwork & quilting and my search for people to teach all about this amazing, therapeutic and fulfilling hobby, so far, so good….

Update... I opened my very own shop with a classroom on March 10th 2012. "Angie's Patchwork and Quilting Shop" it's a work in progress and proving to be very successful... I LOVE it!

Update, October 2017. My lovely shop continues quite successfully with many more people now enjoying Patchwork and Quilting. Life has thrown up many hurdles over the years and it's lovely that so many lovely people, mostly quilters, have been happy to help me jump over them and to keep jumping over them.